Tungning Church begins evangelistic training in time for 50th anniversary
Reported by Chen Yi-hsuan
Written by Lydia Ma
To prepare for its 50th anniversary next year and equip its members to witness to others, Tungning Presbyterian Church in Tainan has launched a series of evangelistic events. The first event of the series was a 3-part seminar on November 6, 2010, featuring Dr. Cheng Yang-en, professor of church history at Taiwan Theological College and Seminary.
Cheng spoke on the history of Christianity in Taiwan and how the Christian faith has influenced Taiwanese people, society, and culture. He gave a brief overview of many missionaries as role models for contemporary Christians to follow when it comes to fulfilling their own social responsibilities and engaging in today’s political and social issues.
Cheng especially cited George L. Mackay, Thomas Barclay, David Landsborough, and others as examples of missionaries who came to Taiwan and used cutting-edge methods to help people understand the gospel better.
A question-and-answer session followed Cheng’s lecture where attendees stayed on to raise questions relating to the commercialization of churches and the perceived silencing and aloofness of churches vis-a-vis social injustices of the day. One attendee even pointed out that Taiwanese seminarians nowadays seem locked up in their ivory towers and unaware of the challenges the average Christian faces.
”Why did missionaries come all the way to Taiwan? They were the cream of the crop in their own countries – highly educated and highly experienced – why did they choose to come here?” asked Rev. Lin Jui-lung.
He went on to emphasize that all of these missionaries weren’t satisfied with merely serving within their own churches, but stepped outside church walls to serve the masses as well.
Inspired by examples these missionaries have set, church leaders decided to make “Stepping out” the theme of the church’s 50th anniversary. The church plans to hold a series of concerts and outreach events in time for the Christmas season, but it also plans to train members to become counselors in time for such events.
